Graduate students take their research to the Capitol
By Nicole Freeling | March 15, 2012
To many people, graduate student research is a little-known corridor in the halls of higher education. To some it is perceived as a mysterious side nook in the ivory tower, where esoteric research is conducted for obscure ends.
On March 14, a delegation of 20 graduate students and deans traveled to Sacramento to give lawmakers a very different perspective: that of graduate student research as central not only to the future of the University of California, but to that of the state and the nation as well.
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Prying open the black box
It is this brilliance, passion and curiosity that enable graduate researchers to slog through the 99-percent-perspiration that is the requisite for breakthrough discovery.
“A lot of research is just about bearing down and plugging forward,” said UC Berkeley doctoral student Iris Tien, who is using advanced probability modeling and information mapping to help civil engineers make smarter decisions about managing infrastructure. “There’s something that I have a hunch might be the answer, so I keep pushing forward and maybe in six months I’ll find it.”
Using advanced probability and information mapping, UC Berkeley civil systems Ph.D. student Iris Tien creates models that can help engineers manage complex infrastructure systems. Her models help predict potential failures, identify weaknesses and develop more efficient maintenance plans.